Days To The End
by divergentpotterheadinthetardis
Summary: River has chosen Dauntless to find her Father outside the fence. She's trained during initiation by Tris, and Four. She makes friends with the other initiates, and takes a few with her on her adventures. Depending on the success of this book, I may write A sequel.
1. Day 1

"How was the aptitude test?" My mother asked as soon as I came home. My result was divergent. We aren't supposed to tell, but my mother says what she feels, like all the Candor. Unlike all the Candor though, is her ability to lie. She can fool even the rest of her chosen faction. She fooled me for sixteen years.

"Inconclusive... What does that mean?" I looked at the door, making sure it's closed. "She called me... Divergent." I whispered the last word No one was supposed to know. My mother is a loud mouth, even if I am not, But now she talks quietly too.

"Divergence is belonging to more than one faction. It's not bad. It is feared. Tomorrow in the Choosing Ceremony you will have to pick where you belong. Abnegation and Amity will accept you, Erudite will study you, and Dauntless will try to kill you, because of it. It's imperative that this remain hidden. Do you understand?" I nod silently. I had never seen my mother like this and feared what she had to say.

"What about our faction?" I had to ask.

"You cannot stay in this faction. It doesn't matter what they will do." She responded. "There's a lot I have to tell you before you choose. This will change your life. But first I have to work. You need to think about what you do have aptitude for and decide what you will choose. I hope I can help you start to build something more than a life of fear, and hiding. Something better than what I have." With that she pulled on her coat and walked out the door. I didn't have time to respond.

While she's gone, I set to work distracting myself with tasks so as not to think about what she said. I folded all the laundry, washed the dishes, and tidied up. By the time mother came home I was just sitting in the floor staring at my reflection. I have a heart shaped face, framed by short, black hair, but most startling is my eyes. Mom says they're deep gray, like a stormy night, with hints of the raging sea beneath.

"I'm Home!" My mother calls out as she walks in the door. "What are you doing on the floor? Did you eat dinner? It's almost eleven, what are you still doing up? You have a big day tomorrow. Oh, right we need to talk. Well, help me make dinner and we can talk and cook. Get out a saucepan."

She starts to talk as I help her. "I'll start with your father." She sighs, suddenly looking worn out. "He left. Before he knew about you. He knew the factions were corrupt, and he needed to see the outside. He said he wanted to know if there was more to life than a corrupt city full of... Well, I can't tell you what he said, but it's the reason he's gone. I couldn't keep him here. Nothing could."

I was stunned. I couldn't believe he might still be alive. I could find him. I need to become Dauntless. I need to go past the gate. And most importantly, I need to find my father. "This is a lot to take in. I ate earlier," Lie. "So I think I'm going to head to bed and think about all this. Is there anything else I should know?" I actually need a plan, and time to figure out how to survive initiation. Starting with finding weaknesses.

"No, Dear. Go on to bed. You'll need your rest for tomorrow. Big day ahead!"

I walk into my room, white carpet, black bedding, white sheets, white pillows. It's perfectly Candor. I sit down on my bed, which is up against the wall by the door. My room is square. There's a wardrobe in the corner, and a window looking out on the city. I have a window seat in front of it, and a small bookshelf holding the few books I own. I have a few pictures of my family and childhood on the shelf also. There's a small desk in the corner for school work. By tomorrow I will never see this room again.

I should warn mother. I get up and join her at the table.

"I've made a decision. I'm going to chose Dauntless. I need to find what's beyond the fence." I say as she eats.

"That's good. I was hoping you would. That's where your father was from. You will need to ask him why he transferred if you find him. I'm proud of you, and I love you no matter what happens. Do not let anyone find out about your divergence. They will kill you. Your father told me about Dauntless initiation. You will fight. You will be ranked, and you will face your fears in a simulation. The simulations will reveal your Divergence, so be careful with them. Do not discuss it with anyone. Try to calm your body down instead of manipulating the simulation. That will give you away. Do not make yourself stand out, and do not be the first jumper. Try to stay in the middle of the pack." She gets up, holding up a finger, signaling me to wait, and leaves the room. She comes back with a book on combat, and fighting techniques. It also describes knife throwing, and gun firing. "This was given to me by your father. Study it. It will improve your rank. It's small enough to bring with you to the compound. You have to be in the top ten by the end of initiation. Top five by the end of stage one." She hands me the book, which fits in my jacket pocket, and kisses my forehead.

"I love you. Find him, and a better life. Get some rest before the big day ahead." With that she starts to wash dishes, and I head to my room, intending to think on what she's given me.

I need to find my fears. I'm afraid of heights, falling, insects, and powerlessness. How can I face them? I need to convince myself I won't get hurt by them. I need to act in spite of them and stay calm. When I reach the compound, in my free time, I need to find heights, and stay there until I can calm down. That is the only way I will be able to beat them.

The book is called Combat for Fun and Defense by Eric Tyler. There's a picture of a target on the cover. I open it up to the first chapter, titled Stance: How to Stand in Different Situations of Offense and Defense. I start to read, and practice the stances for almost an hour until I get the hang of each one. According to the back of the book I have a willowy body type, and should use my knees and elbows rather than brute force with my fists and feet. I practice a few moves with my elbows, until I'm tired. It's past midnight when I finally get to sleep.

After breakfast, I stay in my room and practice more with the book. By the time it's time to leave for the choosing ceremony, I've mastered the kicks and punches in the second chapter, and practiced the stances in the first enough to memorize them.


	2. Day 2

We arrive and mother takes her seat. The room is set up in concentric circles. All the sixteen-year-olds stand around the edges in reverse alphabetical order. The next row is for family and divided into five sections by faction. This year Amity is hosting it.

After everyone takes their seats, Johanna Reyes, the mouthpiece of Amity, starts the ceremony. She's standing at the podium, with five large bowls on the floor in front of her. In the first bowl are the gray stones for Abnegation. They are smooth, with no difference between any of them, just like the members. I am not selfless. Next is lit coals for Dauntless. My blood on the coals. I need my fathers courage. I check my jacket to feel for the book. The hard shape reassured me, and I feel brave. Brave enough to leave everything I know. The next bowl is water, for Erudite. It was never a viable option for me, not anything I have aptitude for. Soon the clear water will be red with initiates blood. After that, Candor's bowl full of glass. The blood on the glass makes the faction choice look painful, and the truth almost always is. I can't go back into my birth faction. The final bowl is Amity. The bowl is filled with earth, which represents their closeness with nature, and possibly their dependence on it.

Johanna clears her throat, and leans into the microphone. "Welcome." I can't help but stare at the huge scar on her face. She does a good job speaking around the lisp it causes. "Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony. Welcome to the day we honor the democratic philosophy of our ancestors, which tells us that every man has the right to choose his own way in the world."

Actually one of the five provided ways. I will defeat that. I will not choose one way, but a Divergent way. All the paths of each faction will combine to be my own. My face set is determined, and I stare straight ahead. There are two Amity on either side of me. The do not look nervous, but happy. I guess that's what you feel when you know the rest of your life is safe.

"Our dependents are now sixteen. They stand on the precipice of adulthood, and it is now up to them to decide what kind of people they will be. Decades ago our ancestors realized it is not political ideology, religious belief, race, or nationalism that is to blame for a warring world. Rather, they determined that it was the fault of human personality, of humankind's inclination towards evil, in whatever form that is. They divided into factions that sought to eradicate those qualities they believed responsible for the worlds disarray."

I stare at each bowl in turn, imagining my life in each faction.

"Those who blamed aggression formed Amity."

They are peaceful farmers. I would climb the apple trees and laugh with friends. Singing every day in off-key voices. I couldn't do it. Living a life of peace may make me happy, but it would bore me. I would never find my father, I would never know outside the faction life, and I would be safe. I've made my choice.

"Those who blamed ignorance became the Erudite."

I look over at them, and I know a life of knowledge is not for me.

"Those who blamed duplicity created Candor."

My birth faction is not an option for me. My mother has made that clear.

"Those who blamed selfishness made Abnegation."

I am not selfless. I can not live that kind of life.

"And those who blamed cowardice were the Dauntless."

I am not a coward. I will rank well. Most importantly, I will find my father, and a better reason to live than the corrupt system of the city.

"Working together, these five factions have lived in peace for many years, each contributing to a different sector of the society. Abnegation has fulfilled our need for selfless leaders in government; Candor has provided us with trustworthy and sound leaders in law; Erudite has supplied us with intelligent teachers and researchers; Amity has given us understanding counselors and caretakers; and Dauntless has provided us with protection from threats within and without. But the reach of each faction is not limited to those areas. We give one another far more than can be adequately summarized. In our factions we find meaning, we find purpose, we find life. Apart from them we could not survive." The silence after her words are heavy. The fear of being factionless is impressed into everyone growing up, and now that fear is tangible in the air. Every teenager in this room is terrified of failing initiation, myself included, even though I know I will not.

Johanna continues, "Therefore this day marks a happy occasion-the day on which we receive our new initiates, who will work with us towards a better society and a better world." The crowd applauded, and the first name is called. I tune out the rest of it until I hear my name.

"River Violets," I walk calmly up to the bowls, and she hands me a knife. I pull the blade across my palm with a determined mindset. All I can hear is the sizzle of my blood on the coals, and I force my feet one in front of the other to stand behind the Dauntless. I know they are cheering, but it doesn't register. I reach to feel for my book, the only piece of my old life, and my father I have left.

I look around as other transfers join me. On the other side of the crowd is a tall, lanky boy with choppy brown hair. He's glaring at me, but I don't recognize him. Beside me is a tall, willowy girl, with olive skin, and brown hair braided down her back. She's from Amity, and dressed in the colors of the earth. I'm intrigued as to why she would pick Dauntless, so I introduce myself.

"Hello, I'm River." I say, and I hold out my hand, the greeting of the Dauntless.

"I'm Natalie," She replies, and her dark green eyes shock me. She calls over two Amity boys who hold hands, and introduces them. "This is Xion," He looks weak, skinny with no real muscles, and I don't think he will last long. "And this is Uriah." He is short, with tan skin, and a small build. These three Amity surprise me by their transfer.

At that moment the last name is called, and the ceremony ends. The Dauntless take off running down the stairs, and I keep up well. I've always loved to run, and I'm told I get it from my father. My heart is pounding, and my lungs are burning when we reach the train. We will have to jump on. I turn to Natalie, and hold out a hand. She smiles, and we run alongside the train, throwing ourselves in with a laugh. We fit in well. I see one girl though, running as fast as she can, but she can't reach, and she doesn't make it to the train. Already we have lost one. She was Abnegation. The look of defeat on her face is saddening. She is factionless. Maybe her family will make an exception for her.

I sit on the floor with Natalie, and she starts to talk about why she left. "My mother was attacked once, so I want to learn how to defend myself. She's gone now. I'm determined to make it through initiation."

"I..." I hesitate, not sure if I should mention my book. "I can help. I know how to fight. I can teach you. We have the same body type. It'll be easy." She smiles appreciatively, and I have a feeling I've just made a friend.

After half an hour on the train, the Dauntless start to jump off onto a seven story building. There's a gap, a scary gap. Natalie looks scared, but determined. "We have to jump," I say. She nods, and gets in line behind the other initiates. "It's easier than getting on. Don't think just jump. Here," I hold out my hand again, and my new friend takes it. I didn't have friends in Candor. Our turn comes, and we launch ourselves off the roof. I land on my knees, but I'm unhurt. I look over at Natalie, and she's holding her ankle. I help her up, and look around. Xion and Uriah made it. So did six others. That means two didn't. I don't want to look over the edge to see.

Standing on the edge of the roof is a man. He's older than everyone else, with dark skin and gray hair at is temples. He stands on the edge of the roof like it's not seven stories above the ground. "Listen up! I'm Max, a leader of your new faction. Below us is the member's entrance to the compound. If you can't jump, you don't belong. Our initiates get to go first."

"Jump? Off a building? Are you insane?" One of the boys, an Erudite, said.

"Not insane, Dauntless." Max replied.

A girl with a pack of cigarettes in her jacket pocket takes a running jump off the building. She came from Abnegation, but she obviously was a rebel. That's what mother meant by first jumper.

I go next before Natalie. Falling is terrifying, but we hit something hard, and it gives way. There's a net at the bottom, and lots of cheering. Someone holds out their hand, and helps me up out of the net. I pull up Natalie out of the net next.

I look around at the surrounding, cheering crowd. They're a mob of black clothing, with a few funky hair colors standing out. I'm pretty short, at only five four, so I can't see above their heads to where we might go.

The last boy, a dauntless-born initiate, jumps as the sun sets. The crowd heads into a cave, and we follow them down. I almost feel alone, until I feel someone bump me, or trip into me on the uneven ground. Everyone suddenly stops, and I run into the person in front of me, a Candor.

"This is where we part. Dauntless-borns with Tris," He gestures to a girl next to him, with blonde hair. "You guys don't need the tour, hopefully?" There's scattered laughter, and someone shouts out "Nah, we're cool."

When they leave, he starts talking again. "Follow me. We're about to enter the pit. This is where all shops and the cafeteria is. Each month, you'll get a certain amount of points to spend on whatever you like." He leads us in the pit, and the name makes sense. It's a huge cavern, underneath a glass ceiling/floor, depending on your vantage point. The pit is amazing. There's a tatoo shop, a few clothing stores, and a few others I don't recognize. There are paths leading up and other places without railings. It looks dangerous, but that's what I signed up for. There is one railing, and he leads us up to it. "This is the chasm. It defines the line between bravery, and recklessness. If you jump over this railing, you will die, and the filtration system at the end will fish out your body. There's always one who tries. Remember this. Don't be that one." His tone silences the initiates babble. "It's time for dinner, then you'll be lead to the dorm, and explained the rules." He leads us to the cafeteria, and we scramble to find a table.

Natalie, Xion, Uriah, and the other initiates join us. There are cheeseburgers on the table. One by one the others introduce themselves. The boy on my left is Nathan. He's tall, lanky with average looks, and choppy, brown hair. He glares at me, but I don't recognize him. On his left is his complete opposite, Dahlia. Her hair is brown, but she talks about dying it rose-colored. She's shed a few layers of Abnegation clothes, and is wearing gray shorts, gray sneakers, with a tight-ish gray shirt. The table seats five on each side, and to my right is Natalie. On Dahlia's left is Eric, he's a Candor smart mouth. He isn't very liked among the group.

On the other side of the table is Uriah and Xion, two amity boys who are holding hands under the table. They blush when they look at each other. I think it's cute, but the Dauntless give them pitying looks, like they won't make it through initiation.

Next to them is a girl named Amelia. She has red hair, freckles, and a curvy frame. She's plump in an extremely appealing way. I have a feeling she'll make a lot of good friends around here, _if you know what I mean_. Beside her is Rae. She's plain, and gender-neutral. She's strong, and confident in herself. She seems very able to defend herself.

Beside her is Simon. He is a know-it-all. He is Erudite. He's the only friend of Eric. Simon is well-trained in combat, and incredibly smart. With Eric by his side, he will rank high on the first stage. I have to take him down, and I know mother said to stick to the three- ish spot, but I can't stand him already.

Everyone finishes eating, and our unknown leader appears. "I forgot to mention. My name is Four. To the dorm!" He takes off, and I need to run to keep up. A few hallways and turns later, he leads us to a door. "This is is where you will sleep. That door," He points across the hall, "is the lavatories. More commonly known as restroom. Inside the dorm is six boxes, containing clothes. They're sorted by size, and gender. Back to that later. You have a full schedule tomorrow. You're expected in the training room at 8:00 sharp every morning. We train until 6:00 with a break for lunch. After six you can do whatever you want in the pit. You are not allowed to leave the compound without a member. At 7:15 tomorrow morning, I'll lead you to the training room. You'll be expected to remember how to get there, and here."

He leads us into the dormitory, which is a long room containing ten end-to-end bunks. Black sheets, drawer by each for clothing and other items. I discreetly pat my book to make sure it's still there. Having somewhere to put it will take a lot off my mind. Immediately everyone heads to the clothes boxes. I look in the small box for a shirt, and pair of pants. This will do until I can buy something better. I take my claim to a bed against the wall, by the door. Dahlia is sitting on the end of the bed at the end of my bed.

"Are you going to get a tattoo? I think I want a small one, just to try. Something close." I ask Dahlia, while we wait for the place to calm down a little.

"Of course. I want something that integrates every faction in a form of union. I think the way the city is run and managed is beautiful. I would like to have them all diverge in a sea of swirls on my back. It represents something very close to me." She abruptly stopped talking then. I wanted to comfort her, but Divergence is bad. That was a very stupid move.

"That's really neat," I say cooly, covering for her slight panic. She smiles in relief, and looks at me with a question in her eyes. I could bond with her over Divergence. I want to make friends, but I'll eventually have to leave them behind, or betray them. I'll test the waters with her.

"I wonder what's beyond the fence. Maybe I'll get a job in security to find out. That's what I'd like." I say to her. Testing.

"I would only do that to explore. I'd love to be a tattoo artist, but it would be so boring to only be able to do that with my life. I want to see everything. Everywhere." She has a little sparkle in her eye, and I can see the passion there. It's nice that she can feel like that way about something. I give her a tiny nod, and she smiles appreciatively. I think she'll end up following me beyond the gate.

At that moment, Four speaks up. "You will be ranked on this board. It will determine multiple things. Only the top ten will become members..." I tune out this bit. Mother told me about all this. "I will see you in the morning. Goodnight."

I get dressed in my new clothes and throw my white candor clothes away. The black ones can be reused. I see Natalie at the bed next to me, and say hello. She's already discarded her Amity clothes, and changed. "What do you think so far?" I ask her.

"It's...Different." She phrased it in a way to offend no one, even though she probably dislikes it so far. "I guess it will grow on me." She trails off. "Goodnight, River." With that she lays down.

I look around, and almost everyone is laying down. Then the lights go out, and I lay down too.


End file.
